Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Many Triad residents are outraged by the current lack of ethics, accountability and responsibility in our land-use and transportation planning processes in our region and state. An article from the Greensboro News & Record CLICKHERE indicating the intent of developers and "Aerotropolis" planners to meet with the NC General Assembly on Wednesday to request future state funding of this effort.

Please consider the failing state of our bridges and infrastructure and failing air quality. Please consider that North Carolina leads the nation in the number of acres of lost farmland, even though agri-business is our largest and most stable economic comtributor.

Is there any reason that an "AUTHORITY" such as PART or PTIA, (chartered by the NC General Assembly) should not be covered by the State Government Ethics Act? Since N.C.G.S.14-23.1 specifically states it is to cover elected and appointed officials who serve or represent a public agency, would you say that one who has been elected to the Greensboro City Council, has been appointed to lead the Metropolitan Planning Organization and Transportation Advisory Committee that plans roads for northern Guilford County, serves on the Board of Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation and who owns NAI Piedmont Triad real estate brokerage who is trying to develop property throughout the Heart of the Triad area, upon whose Steering Committee he sits would be exempt from the provisions of this statute? Is there any reason that members of the Piedmont Triad Partnership economic development group, (that also receives state funding) should function without ethical restraint? Perhaps Brent McKinney, Executive Director of the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation and the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority leadership might reference the Code of Ethics for Triangle Transit Authority [NC] Board of Trustees found on page #61 of Ethics in Public Life by A. Fleming Bell, II. It can be obtained through the Institute of Government at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.The article I reference follows. Thank you for your consideration of this request to oppose state funding of the "Aerotropolis" planning scheme.